Frequency selective surfaces are used as filters through which electromagnetic energy within a specific frequency range may be propagated. Frequency selective surfaces generally consist of an electrically conductive layer in which patterns of apertures are formed. The electrically conductive layer is usually supported by a dielectric substrate. The shapes of the apertures may includes squares, circles, crosses, concentric rings, and the like.
Radomes are enclosures which protect antennas from the environment and may incorporate frequency selective surfaces. In the past, the antenna and the radome have been constructed as separate entities to perform their separate functions. However, a radome has a finite volume, thereby limiting the number of antennas which can be located within the radome. The communication demands on seagoing vessels generally require a separate antenna for each type of communication system. Therefore, the antennas must all compete for space within a radome. The antenna systems and the radome may be referred to as a radome-antenna system. A need exists for a radome-antenna system which uses space more efficiently than present day systems, as for example, by reducing the volume requirements of a radome without incurring an attendant loss of antenna performance function, or by increasing the number of antennas in the radome-antenna system.